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Updated: Aug 19, 2026
Delayed Intramyocardial Delivery of Stem Cells after Ischemia Reperfusion Injury in a Murine Model
Published on: September 3, 2020
Myocardial regeneration with bone-marrow-derived stem cells
Young-Sup Yoon1, Namho Lee, Heather Scadova
1Division of Cardiovascular Research, Caritas St., Elizabeth's Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. young.yoon@tufts.edu
Insights
Bone marrow stem cells show promise for repairing heart muscle lost after heart attacks. This review explores current research on stem cell therapy for ischemic cardiomyopathy and its regenerative mechanisms.
Area of Science:
- Regenerative Medicine
- Cardiovascular Research
- Stem Cell Biology
Background:
- Heart failure, often caused by ischemic cardiomyopathy and myocardial infarction, leads to irreversible loss of cardiac muscle and vasculature.
- This loss compromises cardiac integrity and function, remaining a leading cause of mortality.
- Adult and embryonic stem cells offer potential for tissue repopulation and myocardial regeneration.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review preclinical and clinical advances in bone marrow-derived stem or progenitor cell therapies for ischemic myocardium repair.
- To discuss the mechanisms underlying stem cell-mediated myocardial repair and regeneration.
Main Methods:
- Review of current preclinical and clinical studies on bone marrow-derived stem cell therapies.
- Analysis of proposed mechanisms for stem cell-induced myocardial regeneration.
Main Results:
- Stem cell transplantation is being investigated as a novel therapeutic strategy for heart failure.
- Evidence suggests bone marrow-derived stem and progenitor cells can contribute to myocardial repair.
- Multiple mechanisms are implicated in the therapeutic effects of these stem cells.
Conclusions:
- Bone marrow-derived stem cells represent a promising therapeutic option for ischemic cardiomyopathy.
- Further research is needed to fully understand their therapeutic potential and underlying mechanisms.
- Stem cell therapy holds potential for regenerating damaged cardiac tissue and improving heart function.
Abstract:
Despite significant therapeutic advances, heart failure remains the predominant cause of mortality in the Western world. Ischaemic cardiomyopathy and myocardial infarction are typified by the irreversible loss of cardiac muscle (cardiomyocytes) and vasculature composed of endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells, which are essential for maintaining cardiac integrity and function. The recent identification of adult and embryonic stem cells has triggered attempts to directly repopulate these tissues by stem cell transplantation as a novel therapeutic option. Reports describing provocative and hopeful examples of myocardial regeneration with adult bone-marrow-derived stem and progenitor cells have increased the enthusiasm for the use of these cells, yet many questions remain regarding their therapeutic potential and the mechanisms responsible for the observed therapeutic effects. In this review article we discuss the current preclinical and clinical advances in bone-marrow-derived stem or progenitor cell therapies for regeneration or repair of the ischaemic myocardium and their multiple related mechanisms involved in myocardial repair and regeneration.
